Battle Invalid
by DragonDancer5150
Summary: The Ronins discover a friend of theirs is struggling in a fight, and there is nothing they can do to help! In fact, most people do not even believe the foe exists... Discont'd. This was my very first fic, & I just don't see being able to finish this one - too many plot/character issues later down the road. If I can fix it, I might try sometime but until then, sorry, guys! COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: The Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all affiliated names and concepts do not belong to me. If you recognize the character, he/she is not mine. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Battle Invalid"  
By DragonDancer5150

Prologue

A group of people sat around the dining room table, the table's surface covered in papers, dice of all shapes and hues, tiny painted figures of people, animals, and monsters, and a large sheet of graph paper with shapes in various colors drawn on it, roughly denoting a forest setting. A selection of figures were gathered in a clearing among the "trees."

One young woman stood at the head of the table, her sheets and dice hidden from view behind a standing screen covered in charts and other miscellaneous information for the game they were playing. "Who has characters with Sixth Sense? . . . OK, subtract 2 psionic points for those who have it. Something's approaching."

Several questions came from around the table. "From which direction?" "How many?"

She shook her head. "You don't know. You just know that _something_ is about to happen."

Someone shouted, "I alert the others!"

"Good. OK, so the rest of you also now know something is coming. Roll initiative. Those with Sixth Sense - don't forget you get plus six to that roll on top of your regular bonuses. Also plus two to parry and plus three dodge. Remember, these are for the first attack only!"

As dice rolled, the game's leader reached into her box of miniatures and gathered up her wolf figures, placing them on the table around the players' figures.

"Uh-oh. Five . . . six, seven . . . eight . . . eleven, twelve, thirteen! Fifteen! Jag, when'd you get all those?" asked the Hispanic man sitting near the other end of the table.

Jag merely gave her stepbrother an evil grin. "What's everyone's innish?" The group exploded with replies as she rolled for her villains.

"Lemme guess - Blain goes first."

"No, actually she's only 18."

"_Only_ 18!"

"Arcadian is a 14 and Nightshade goes at 23."

"Well, Kurt's on par for his norm. He got a whole whopping 7. Ghost is 15."

"Eek! Gradamir rolled a 4! I, uh, _did_ tell you that he has the armor on already."

"I forget, which one does he have again?"

"Strata."

"And who has Torrent?"

"Ashki."

"I thought Ashki had Verna, the spring one?"

"No, Freya has that one."

"Do they both have them on already?"

"Hell, yeah! At least Ashki does."

"So what are we looking at exactly?"

"Several shadowy creatures emerge from the forest around you guys - "

"Shadow beasts? Hey, Jag, I've got a spell for that!"

"Tom, let me finish. Besides, it's not your turn," Jag chided. "No, they're not 'shadow beasts,' per se, but they look like they're maybe the same _kind_ of monster. They're about four feet at the shoulder and look like a cross between a bear and a crocodile that's been dead for way too long. Baleful, sickly green-grey eyes glow out of a face that is constantly shifting. Oh, and by the way, everyone make two save-vs-magic rolls. You have to roll 18 or higher. The first is at minus three, the second at minus six."

"Ah, man, they're not undead, are they? Do I have to make a phobia roll?"

"Roll your Demon and Monster Lore."

" . . . 27."

"And your skill is?"

"82."

"No, you realize that they're not undead."

"Does Maximus know anything about them? I just rolled a 63 out of 79 for his Demons and Monsters."

"Yeah, you've actually heard a little about them." On a piece of paper, Jag scribbled, "Dire shades. Diabolic evil. Half damage fire and cold. Magical weapons do full. No damage from non-magical attacks. Magical light-based attacks, shadow powers and attacks designed for dealing with creatures of darkness and shadows do double damage. The first roll is for who gets sick. Fail the second, lose magic points." She folded the paper and tossed it across the table as the phone rang.

The player looked over the notes. "Guys, this does NOT look good for the home team. Does Max have time to tell - "

"Not yet. I rolled a natural twenty for the bad-nasties so they go first."

"Janice! Phone!" came a voice from the living room.

Jag wished, once again, that her step-mom would not call her that. "Who is it? I'm running a game right now!"

"I know but it's your cousin in Japan, Sage."

No one missed the sudden light in her eyes. "Uh, Alex, could you take over for me? This might take a bit. Thanks!" She gave him a grin as he stood and moved to take her place. "Thanks, Linda. I'll take it in my room."

Alex could only laugh at his stepsister as she sprinted upstairs.

"Jag's got a cousin in Japan?"

"Yeah. Her dad's brother, Derek, married into a Japanese family. They live somewhere near Tokyo, I think."

"Isn't everything somewhere near Tokyo?"

Alex shrugged. "Something like that. Can't say I know the geography of Japan that well myself."

"Sheesh, you'd think she got a call from a boyfriend or something. That was way too excited for just a cousin."

"Well, she and Sage are really close. Derek used to come out with his wife and kids to visit his family almost every year. Jag didn't have a brother until me when Mom married Dale and Sage's older sister, Satsuki - no, sorry, that's his younger sister - I mean . . .Yayoi could be such a snot to him that they just kind of adopted each other. I've met him once when he came out for Mom and Dale's wedding. Nice guy. A little formal and uptight sometimes but he's pretty cool."

"Satsuki, Yayoi . . . and Sage? Girls get Japanese names, boys get English names?"

"His name is actually Seiji." Alex stumbled a little saying it. "'Sage' is easier for some of us to remember and pronounce."

"So what's up now?"

"You know that Mom and Dale are leaving on Tuesday for Europe for six weeks, right? Well, Sage and a couple of his friends just finished their first year of college - or second, I don't remember. Anyway, they were looking to do something special to celebrate. So we've invited them to come to California for a few weeks. They're gonna stay with me and Jag while the parental units are away."

"'They'? How many are there?"

"Him and four of his friends."

"Do they speak English?"

"Duh."

"Well, hell, how would I know?"

"How come this is the first we're hearing of it?"

"Kind of last minute. They only just started talking about it a few days ago when their original plans fell through."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Up in her bedroom, Jag grabbed the phone on her desk and flopped onto the bed, absently scratching the cat that had followed her. "Mushy, mushy!"

"Jag! That's '_moshi, moshi_'."

She chuckled, shrugging. "Yeah, I know, but 'mushy' is funnier."

She could almost hear Sage shaking his head. "You are _such_ a goofball. Listen, I got the tickets for myself and the guys. We'll be arriving at San Diego Airport about ten-thirty in the morning your time on Tuesday. Will that be all right?"

"Cool! That will work out great! I drop off Dad and Linda at seven that same morning for their flight. I'll just plant myself somewhere with a coffee and a good book."

"Yeah, that's what I was aiming for. I remember you telling me the time for their flight."

"So, tell me again who all's coming with you?"

"Their names are Ryo, Rowen, Kento, and Cye. I sent you a pic in my last email. Did you get it? They're the ones who were with me when I was in the hospital a few years ago in LA. Remember?"

She glanced over at the picture of five young men gathered around a motorcycle sitting on her desk. "How could I forget? Man, Dad was worried sick when he heard - not to mention me!"

"I know. I'm sorry no one told you sooner but the guys had no way of knowing I had family so close and I wasn't exactly in a position to tell them until I woke up."

She had already asked him for the real story of what had happened back then, not really buying the one he and his friends had told. The only response he had given was that maybe someday he could tell her. As she trusted and respected him, she had left it at that. For the time being.

She could hear in his voice that he wanted to steer away from that subject. "Hey, be sure to tell Uncle Dale and Aunt Linda thanks so much again for letting us come out. And thank you and Alex, too."

"No problem! Hey, I need someone to beat up on besides just Alex! Do your friends swordfight, too?"

"Does Alex still play with that foam-weapon fantasy group? Yeah, Ryo and Kento will probably want to take him on. Oh, and do you still have those targets set up in the backyard? You and Rowen should get along pretty well. I've told you he's an archer, too, haven't I?"

"Yeah. If any of you are interested, I'll take you guys to the Ren faire that's going on next weekend. I can introduce Rowen to one of the groups I'm in, the Archers of Ravenwood."

"Yeah, he'd like that."

The grey cat nibbled on Jag's fingers, biting just a little too hard. "Ow! Addie! Oh, Sage, that reminds me. None of your friends are allergic to cats, right? You know that we have six."

He snickered. "Ah, no. None of them are allergic to cats."

From the tone of his voice, she guessed there was some inside joke of which she was not aware. She would have to remember to ask him some time. For now, she did not want to keep him on the phone for too long. "I sure am looking forward to this. It'll be great to see you again - and your friends."

"Me, too. Hey, before I go, I wanted to ask you really quick . . . are you still running that campaign where the characters are looking for those magical armors you were telling me about?"

Jag thought about the group downstairs. "Yeah! It's coming along pretty well. I haven't worked out all of the details of the final bad guy yet but I still have a while."

"Oh?"

"Well, so far they've only found three of the nine."

"Which ones?"

"The air one, the water, and spring. They're following leads to another right now. They haven't deciphered the clues yet far enough to know if it's summer or fire. It's fire, by the way. Oh! No, wait! They have four. The characters split up and I keep forgetting that the other group found the earth armor a few months ago. We don't get to play every weekend right now like we used to. That group's going after the armor of light right now. You know, this is turning out to be a really cool story! When we're finished, I'm going to write it up for RPGFics-dot-com. Sage? You still there?"

"Oh, sorry. I was . . . just thinking about something. Anyway, I have to go now. Grandfather is calling."

Jag frowned. She had never met her cousin's Japanese grandfather but did not like some of the stories she'd heard about him. Jag thought he was far too strict and too harsh on his grandson as often as not._ Maybe _I'm_ just too American_, she mused. "OK. Guess I better let you go, then. Give my love to Uncle Derek and Aunt Umiko. And tell your friends that I'm looking forward to meeting them . . . um, again. Bye! Love ya, bro!"

"You, too . . . sis."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Sage hung up the phone with a sigh. He still did not know what to make of his cousin's imagination. A little under a year ago, she had started telling him excitedly about a new campaign she was starting with her gaming group - a campaign that centered around gathering nine magical armors that were based on the elements and the seasons.

He ran a hand through his golden locks thoughtfully. He had not told the others yet. He wanted to find out more about it himself first. He could not believe the opportunity that had presented itself less than a week ago. Now maybe, he might get some answers.

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 1 Sun Diego

Disclaimer: The Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all affiliated names and concepts do not belong to me. If you recognize the character, he/she is not mine. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Battle Invalid"  
By DragonDancer5150

Chapter 1 - "Sun" Diego

"/_Rowen . . . Hey, Rowen!_/"

"Hmmggf?" The mumble didn't count as Japanese. Or English, for that matter.

"/_Rowen, we'll be landing soon. Wake up_./"

The lid slid back on one reluctant midnight-blue eye. A haze of golden blonde emerged from the ambient sunlight as the buzzing whine of engines made its presence heard and felt. It took a moment for the fog of sleep to lift from Rowen's brain and his eyes to focus on Sage's face. His best friend was looking over his shoulder out the window, with Ryo peering around him from the aisle seat. Behind him, he heard Cye breathe in awe, "/_Wow! Is that San Diego?_/"

Sage grinned. "/_Sure is_./"

Rowen waited a moment for his eyes to completely adjust before turning to look out the window into the bright morning light. When he did, a welcome sight greeted him. He remembered a few years back when the group had flown into Los Angeles, just north of here. Having expected this city to be much the same, he was pleasantly surprised. Now he knew why all the brochures nicknamed this "America's Finest City." The smog of LA was almost non-existent here. Gleaming glass and alabaster buildings rose from the ground along a bay of sapphire blue. The shoreline of the bay was filled with enormous battleships and other sea-faring vessels, including an old-style clipper. He wondered if that was the Star of India he had read about.

"/_Wow! Look at all those ships_,/" Ryo marveled. "/_Half the American Navy must be docked down there. Where's the Coronado Bay Bridge?_/"

"/_At this point, you'd have to be sitting on the other side of the plane to see it, I think_./"

"/_Do you think we can see Sea World from here?_/" Cye asked excitedly.

"/_Do you see that other big bay?_/" Sage was pointing north along the coast. "/_It's on the south edge. That blue-and-white needle is the Sea World Tower_./"

"/_All right!_/"

Kento laughed. "/_Hey, if we go to Sea World, we have to go to the Wild Animal Park, too!_/"

"/_So we can sign you in for permanent residence?_/" Ryo teased.

Rowen glanced over in time to see a hand dart between the seats from behind and swat at the mass of raven-black hair. He laughed, then yawned and stretched sleepily. "/_Hey, I don't know about the rest of you but if I don't move soon, they're going to have to haul me out of this seat with a forklift_./"

"/_Hey, it lives!_/" Kento laughed, not having been aware that Rowen was awake.

"/_Me, too_,/" agreed Ryo, stretching in turn. "/_No more straight shots. Maybe we can get our tickets changed for a stop-over in Hawaii or something on the way back_./"

"/_I heard there's a surfing competition there in a few weeks_,/" Cye offered. "/_I think it's about the time we return - _/"

"/_No!_/" Sage laughed with a shake of his head, blonde locks bouncing. "/_We'd never make it home! We'd have to yank you out of the waves in a fishing net. Besides, you didn't bring your surfboard_./" He turned in his seat, looking between the backs at Cye. "/_By the way, I talked to Alex. He says he has a board you can borrow and he'll take you to some of the surfing spots here._/"

Rowen was buckling his seatbelt as the plane passed the airport and banked into the flight path to land from the east. "/_Well, it's not Hawaii but it is California, so I guess it'll have to do, buddy_./" After a moment, the plane straightened out and the ground rose toward them at an alarming rate. He glanced at Sage, who had righted himself and was braced with his hands gripping the armrests, his violet eyes closed. Rowen chuckled in spite of himself. "/_Never quite get used to flying, will you?_/" He remembered a similar stance when they had taken off from Tokyo ages ago.

"/_It's not the flying that gets me. It's the take-off -_ /" Bump! "/ _- and landing -_ /" Bump! "/ _- that I don't like_./"

Rowen's stomach, too, did a bit of a lurch as the back wheels, then front wheels, hit the ground. He looked along the plane's body to the wing several feet behind him. The panels along the back edge were all standing straight up, helping to slow the plane's speed.

The craft taxied to the backside of the airport, pulling up alongside an access tunnel which shifted to place its end against the plane's body. It reminded Rowen of a lamprey latching onto a fish and shook the image out of his head with a tired chuckle. The seatbelt lights went out and the pilot's voice came over the intercom, announcing that passengers could begin collecting their belongings and disembarking and thanking everyone for choosing this airline for their travels. Still rubbing sleep from his eyes, he leaned forward and pulled his backpack from under the seat in front of him, then slowly filed down the aisle and out into the tunnel with the other passengers. Halfway down the corridor, a chill filled him and a tingling hit the hollow of his right hip. At the same instant, Sage stopped, frozen as though listening. Rowen plunged his hand into the pocket of his jeans, to his yoroi crystal. It was abnormally cold and almost vibrating. His fingers closed around it but he did not pull it out. As suddenly as it hit, the sensation passed. He looked to Ryo to see if he felt it, too, but they had blocked the passageway and people were beginning to push past them in irritation. Now pressed against the opposite wall, Ryo frowned and shook his head. Here and now was not the place to discuss it. Just then, Kento and Cye caught up, who had fallen behind in the press of people to get off the plane. When the five were together again, they emerged from the tunnel, scanning the crowds for a familiar face, the incident forgotten for the moment.

"/_Hey, Sage_,/" Cye asked, "/_wasn't your cousin going to meet us here at the terminal?_/"

Sage grinned at him and commented in a low voice, "Since we're now in the US, we should probably start getting used to speaking in English." He laughed at the look on Cye's face. "We don't want to be taken for tourists who can't even speak the language, right?"

"All right, then, smart aleck," Cye laughed, switching to English himself, his inflection lightly stressed with a British accent, "So where's your cousin?"

Sage turned and swept the expanse of people and ticket booths. "I wonder if they don't let people up to the terminals anymore if they're not flying. It's been a while now so I don't know if they've let up at all, but I remember Jag telling me about all the new security regulations that the Americans enacted right after those attacks back in September of 2001."

A somber silence momentarily fell over the group. Of course they had heard of the terrorist attacks on the American cities nearly two years before. The incident had shocked the entire world. Truly, no one was unaffected by it. The five friends had participated in a candlelight vigil in honor of those who had died that day and had done what little they could in support of relief efforts for the survivors. Sage's father and grandfather took donations of clothes and dry food goods from students at their dojo and Kento's family sent a monetary donation from their restaurant. Cye's mother and sister gave ceramic pieces to a charity auction that raised money for the American Red Cross.

Sage remembered the days of worry as his father tried to reach family back in the States. The attacks had occurred on the east coast. Uncle Dale lived about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego on the west coast. Even though they were nowhere near the attacks, both Californian cities were considered prime targets and possibly the next to be hit - LA because of Hollywood, the heart of everything the terrorists found hateful and sinful about Americans, and San Diego because of its prominent military population, being the home of the largest naval base the Americans possessed. It had been four days before the phone lines in America had cleared up enough for Sage's father to get through and ensure that his brother and family were safe. Jag had sent an email the day it happened but somehow it had never made it to Sage's computer.

Ryo shook himself. "Come on, guys. She's probably down at the luggage area."

"That way," Cye pointed, spotting the signs first.

The group hiked through the building past a number of terminals for various airline names, stopping briefly at a men's room along the way when Kento got antsy. They found the escalators and rode down to the ground floor, where several carousels hummed along U-shaped tracks from the back wall, displaying all manner of luggage and parcels for the claiming. They located the carousel with their flight number displayed in the digital sign overhead.

Sage hung back. "You guys go watch for our suitcases. I'm going to see if I can find Jag." He no sooner turned around than he spotted a hand waving from the crowd on the other side of a shoulder-high wall separating the luggage claims area from the general walk-through along the front of the building. A face framed in violent deep-red tresses peered at him over the partition. Crowds of people separated them. He took a breath, starting to shout, then thought better. She'd never hear him over the din. Before he could begin to make his way across to her, she began gesturing.

Rowen spotted the girl from where he stood at the edge of the carousel. He watched in curious interest as she pantomimed at Sage, then startled when Sage began gesturing back. They held a silent conversation across the throng of people, then Sage turned and made his way to them as she retreated from the building. Rowen looked at him in amazement. "Since when did you know sign language?"

"Dude, what was that all about?" Kento queried at the same time.

"It's ASL - American Sign Language. It's actually a different language than the deaf in Japan use - and no, I don't know that one. One of Jag's sisters was deaf. I haven't practiced it in years, though Satsuki and I used to use it all the time. Didn't think I'd remember so much."

"So what were you talking - or, ah, signing - about?" Cye wanted to know.

"Uncle Dale rented a van for her to use while we're here since her car won't carry so many people." He grinned. "None of us have licenses to drive in the States so she's offered to play chauffeur. She's going to go get it and meet us outside in the passenger pickup area."

It took a few more minutes for the baggage from their flight to finally make it onto the carousel and several more before their own pieces began to make an appearance. "Must have buried our stuff back in some hidden corner," Kento had grumbled after they began to wonder if their belongings had even made it onto the correct plane. At last, the group gathered backpacks and suitcases and headed for the front doors.

The first thing to hit them was the heat. A humid breeze swept through the mobs crowding the sidewalk. Even the sun was much brighter than they were accustomed to. Blinking in its brilliance, Rowen spotted Sage's cousin lounging against the side of a white van parked along the curb to their left. The doors were already open. She saw them at the same time and waved them over. They were sweating by the time they reached her. Sage dropped his suitcase as she threw her arms around him. "Sage! God, it's good to see you again."

To the surprise of the others, he embraced her in return, catching and lifting the shorter girl off her feet. "You, too. You dyed your hair – ?" He fingered the lock of rich red curls hanging over one shoulder.

"Yeah. You like?"

Sage pretended to think about it. "Hm, I don't know." She rolled her eyes at him and he laughed. "It looks great on you, Jag." He turned to his friends. "You guys remember Jag from . . . our LA trip a few years ago?"

Ryo grinned at her. "I remember a girl with brownish hair."

Jag made a face. "I was as blonde as Sage when I was a kid but it darkened as I got older until it was something the color of dirty dishwater. I finally got tired of it and started dying it about a year ago. You're Ryo, right?" She held out a hand, which he took with a nod.

"Sanada Ryo."

"Name's Fuan Rei Shuu. It's Chinese. In school, they call me Kento."

"I'm Mouri Shin. My friends call me Cye."

She shook hands with both of them before turning to Rowen. Sharp, emerald green eyes met his midnight blue. "And do you prefer Rowen or Touma?"

He bowed with a grin. "My father named me Hashiba Touma . . . but I prefer Rowen."

Jag nodded. "Sage writes a lot about you. It's good to meet you all again. Welcome to sunny San Diego."

"Whoa! Hey, look at this, guys!" Kento was staring through the vehicle. "What kind of van has sliding doors on both sides?"

"Ford Windstar," Jag laughed. "Yeah, that tripped me out at first, too, but Dad thought that would be the best bet for transporting so many people. So, shall we?"

Ryo was looking at the trunk space. "Is everything going to fit?" he wondered.

Jag have him mischievous grin. "Watch me."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

" . . . Oh, and then there was a friend of mine came out to visit recently - Sage, you remember Claire who moved to Indiana to take that teaching job? She and her husband Matthew drove out to visit friends and family a few months ago. Claire, Lynn - another friend of mine - and I got together for dinner and she was telling us, once again, how bad Matt is with directions."

The group had settled into the van and were now on the Interstate 5 heading north for home. Sage reclined in the shotgun passenger seat, with Ryo and Cye directly behind them. Rowen was fast asleep again between Kento and the pile of backpacks on the rear bench seat, with all the luggage successfully fitted into the trunk space behind them like giant, leather Tetris blocks.

From Sage's groan, Ryo guessed that Matt was known for his sense of direction – or lack thereof. "How badly lost did he manage to get them?" he queried.

"Actually, he didn't – or hadn't yet. Claire didn't say. No, what happened was that Matt was telling Claire he was surprised at how much of San Marcos he remembered." Half-turning, Jag commented for Ryo and Cye's sake, "San Marcos is one of the cities I told you is squashed along the 78 freeway in North County. Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido." She made chopping motions with her hand, indicating the positions of the cities to each other. "Damn near impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins – "

"Vista," Cye commented, recognizing the name. "That's where we're going, right?"

"Are we stopping somewhere along the way for food?" Kento called from the back.

"No!" the other three chorused. Rowen did not even stir at the noise.

Jag laughed. She had already been warned of her guest's bottomless pit of a stomach. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of stuff waiting for us at home." In the rearview mirror, she saw Kento shrug, disappointed. He reached across Rowen, grabbed his backpack, and pulled his portable CD player and a bag of snacks. "Anyway, so Matt and Claire are at a stoplight when he makes the comment that he knows exactly where he is and can navigate anywhere in San Marcos. Now, by the way, the car is facing so that the afternoon sun is coming in the driver's side window. She challenges him by asking which way north is. He thinks about it a moment, looks around, then points directly out the side window."

Sage and Cye started laughing. Ryo wondered if he heard her right, still shaky on some of his English. "Uh, didn't you just say the sun was shining in through his window?"

"Yeah," Cye chortled. "He was pointing west."

"Claire rolled her eyes and told him, 'Yes, Matt, the sun _always_ sets in the _north_'. I can just imagine the look on his face!"

"Yeah, that sounds like Claire," Sage grinned.

Cye turned and gazed out over the ocean as Sage and Jag continued catching up on old times. He startled at a nudge in the back of his mind.

_-Hey, Cye?-_

Pointedly not looking at Ryo in case Jag glanced at them in the rear-view mirror, he thought back, _-What's up?-_

_-Did you or Kento feel anything when we got off the plane?-_

_-I thought maybe I sensed something for a moment there. It was such a brief instant, I figured maybe I'd imagined it. Kento may have felt something, too, though. I didn't get a chance to ask him. You?-_

_ -Yeah. Sage stopped the same time I did and I saw Rowen reach for his armor orb.-_

_ -What do you suppose it could mean?-_

Ryo hesitated before answering, a heavy sigh evident in his mental voice. _-I don't know, Cye. I don't know.-_

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Jag turned off the little two-lane road into her driveway and a house back in the trees came into view. Sage grinned at the sight. He had not been here in far too long. _Some things never change_, he thought, taking in the two-story house with its green paint and brown trim, the white roll-up doors of the three-car garage, the rose hedge bordering the yard.

"Your bushes are still there," Jag commented softly, indicating the sage bushes concealing the front patio. The comment earned her a chuckle from her cousin. She had always teased him that they were "his" bushes ever since her mother had planted them years ago. "Linda doesn't like the smell of sage but I won't let her take out the bushes."

"Doesn't like the smell of sage, huh?" Ryo leaned forward and clapped Sage on the shoulder. "And she's letting YOU into the house?" Sage just rolled his eyes.

Jag was laughing. "Hey, someone wake up Sleeping Beauty." She thumbed over her shoulder at Rowen as she parked next to a red Chevy Corsica. The side doors slid open almost before she was stopped and Cye, Ryo and Kento sprang out, eager to stretch their legs. Jag caught Sage's arm before he climbed out. "Hey, Sage. Your friend, Rowen - didn't you tell me once that he's got low blood pressure or something? Makes it so he sleeps a lot and it's hard to get going in the morning?"

Sage twisted in the seat and looked back just in time for Rowen's rude awakening. Kento had reached in from behind and knuckled the back of his head as Cye and Ryo were pulling out their luggage. Jag heard him mutter, "_Itai!_" as he rubbed his head, throwing a look of annoyance over his shoulder. Ryo and Cye pretended not to know what had happened. Sage chuckled. "It doesn't help that he stays up reading until two or three in the morning."

"Is he going to be okay with the jet lag and all?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine."

"I wonder if they're any herbs that could help with that? Help me remember to check my references before I start dinner later."

Sage teased, "Always the worried mother hen, taking care of everyone."

"Hey, someone has to," she grinned.

She reached the porch ahead of the guys and unlocked the door, stepping aside to let them in. Ryo was the first and hesitated as a big, fluffy black cat just under his feet took one yellow-eyed look at him and fled. "What the – ?"

"Oh, sorry. We have several cats. That was Fuzzy. He always meets me at the door, just like a dog, but you weren't me and I think he didn't know what to make of that."

The entryway opened into a spacious living room of dark-wood furniture that dominated the whole front half of the house. An orange tabby cat with long, thick fur lounged on a huge television in the corner. "That's Cheetos," Jag remarked as Cye approached the creature.

Cye laughed. "Cheetos? Is that a nickname for something?"

"Well, no, it's . . . Oh, don't tell me you don't know what Cheetos are." Jag ducked into the kitchen and re-emerged a moment later. She dumped the remaining contents of a snack bag into a bowl and set the bowl on the coffee table. Cye nodded, recognizing the American snack. Jag snatched up a fat piece and held it to the cat. The vibrant oranges and yellows nearly matched. She tousled the fur on the cat's head affectionately. "Tell me he doesn't look like a big, fat cheese puff. Here, lemme get some napkins. These things'll turn your fingers orange." She started for the kitchen again. "Don't feed any to him, though - or Fuzzy. If you see Fuzz, he'll probably beg. I swear he's a dog in cat's clothes. We don't give our fur kids anything that doesn't say cat food or dog food on it."

Ryo laughed at that. "Fur kids?"

"Yeah. Hey, they're part of the family, right?"

"How many animals do you have?" Rowen wanted to know.

Jag thought for a moment, ticking off the list on her fingers. "Six cats, two dogs, three aquariums of fish, a snake, and a tarantula."

Kento whistled. "Got your own little zoo, don't you?"

"Don't the cats try to eat the fish?" Cye worried.

"Or the dogs chase the cats?" Ryo added.

"Not if the animals are brought up with one another or introduced properly. There are should's and should not's when dealing with any kind of animal. Oh! Speaking of which, no one go into the back yard or open the sliding door until I can introduce you properly to Tamarack and Celine. They're part wolf so they're really territorial and protective. Sage, that goes for you, too. It's been a few years since you were here last. I don't know how long their memory is."

Sage nodded. He remembered the huge wolf-dogs of which his uncle was so fond. "I remember they like to wrestle, too, so consider yourselves warned." He laughed at the look on Cye's face. Cye had never really been around dogs. The last big dog he had met knocked the slight young man on his backside without a second thought and had him pinned until he was rescued.

"Sage, you want to show the guys around the house while I make up some lunch?"

"Ooh! Did I hear food? Jag, I'll help!" Kento offered, full of excitement.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Ryo and Cye both intercepted him.

Jag wagged a finger under his nose, grinning. "Sage has already warned me about _you_. The kitchen is off-limits or else I introduce you to the dogs first - covered in their favorite gravy!"

"Whoa, tough room!" Kento commented with a grin as Jag disappeared into the kitchen.

Rowen had wandered over to one of the shelf units, displaying various curios and pictures. "Hey, Sage?" Sage crossed to him, followed by the others, Kento finishing off the bowl of Cheetos. Rowen pointed at what appeared to be a family portrait - a man who looked a lot like Sage's father, a woman, and three teenaged girls, two in identical dresses. The outfits were not the only things identical about them. Sage stared for a long moment before Rowen broke into his thoughts. "Jag's family?"

"Yeah. That's Uncle Dale and his first wife, Dianna. The older girl is Lindsey - she got married a few months ago. She and her husband live over in San Marcos. I . . . I don't which one's which but the twins are Janice and Janelle. They used to go by Nanny and Ellie when we were kids. Ellie went deaf after getting meningitis when she was three. Nanny got it, too, but she escaped the hearing loss."

"Janice?" Cye asked.

Sage nodded. "Jag. It's her initials. Janice Abigail Griffin. A couple of friends in high school started calling her that and she really liked it." He paused a long moment. "That picture was taken just a few weeks before Ellie and Aunt Dianna died."

Most people would have missed any emotion in Sage's voice or demeanor, but the four knew him better than that. "They meant a lot to you, didn't they?" Rowen asked softly.

" . . . yes." They stood in silence for a moment, then Sage pointed to a picture on another shelf. "That one was taken just this past Christmas. It's Uncle Dale with Aunt Linda, Jag, and Linda's son, Alex. They've been married for about three years now."

"They look like they're Hispanic."

Sage nodded. "Linda grew up in Mexico City before immigrating - legally - into the States with her parents. Alex is born and raised American."

"Wow, poor Jag," Kento commented in a low voice. "Lost her mom and her sister at the same time?"

Sage nodded. "Drunk driver. That was five years ago. I wish I could have been here for her but . . . we were all otherwise occupied that summer." The statement hung in the air. That summer was a time they would never forget. The nightmares alone were several months in fading: nightmares of endless ranks of heavily-armored soldiers, four powerful adversaries, a grinning red mask over flowing white hair, and five colorful samurai-style armors that drew their powers from the very elements.

Nothing was said as Sage led the others up the stairs to the rooms they would occupy for the next few weeks. Sage would be sharing Alex's room. Kento and Cye had the office, and Ryo and Rowen would be in the guest room. They found beds already set up for each of them. They settled their belongings and made their way back down the stairs as Jag called, "Lunch is ready." Rowen was nearly knocked off his feet as Kento flew past him and into the dining room. An instant later, they heard Jag admonish him, "Don't you touch anything until the others get here!"

Ryo cupped a hand to his ear. "Did I just hear Nasuti talking?" Laughter responded.

They found the table set for six with cold-cut sandwiches and a large salad. "I figured we should have something cool for now while you guys are acclimating to our lovely California heat," Jag commented, setting out glasses and a pitcher of ice water. The guys sat down gratefully to their first decent meal in many hours.

"Where's Alex?" Sage queried.

"He had a run this week but he should be back - " She glanced at the clock above the hutch. " - any time now. In fact . . . timing in life is everything." She grinned at them as they heard the front door open. "Hey, Alex! Always know when there's food on the table, don'cha?"

A tall, young man walked into the dining room just then. He was dark-skinned, with shoulder-length black hair and a goatee. His tank top and shorts revealed a well-developed body. He grinned at the guys, picking out his stepsister's cousin. Sage stood to accept the hand proffered to him. "Hey, Sage! Good to see you again."

"You, too, Alex." Sage introduced the rest of the gang and offered him his seat.

"Naw, don't worry about it. I can stand. Been sitting for too long today already."

Ryo looked at him. "You're a truck driver, right? I think I remember Sage telling me once."

"Yeah. I drive for a company in Escondido called Wickline Bedding. I ran up to Sacramento Tuesday night, then had a backhaul into Phoenix, Arizona. I'd have been back sooner but - " He shrugged. "As it is, I've had to do some creative log-booking."

"Well, have some lunch," Jag insisted before anyone could ask what he meant, "or do you need a shower first?"

"I think our guests will have a much better opinion of me if I get the desert skank off me first. Besides, I've already eaten but thanks."

Alex showered and changed while the rest finished lunch. Jag went into the kitchen to clean up, giving Cye a big grin when he offered to help. Alex came downstairs bouncing a basketball. "I hear one of you's been on a basketball team," he commented. "Care for some one-on-one?"

Rowen grinned at him, remembering that he'd seen a hoop mounted over the garage door. "That would be me, though Cye and Sage play pretty well, too." He stepped up to Alex, then gave him a wry smile. "You know, there's a reason the Japanese teams rarely win against the Americans." Rowen knew he was the tallest among the five, if not by much. He was, at the least, average height for his nationality. He barely came to Alex's nose.

Alex grinned at him. "Yeah, but if you know what you're doing, size doesn't matter."

"Easy for you to say!" Rowen laughed.

"Hey, if you don't mind," Ryo suggested, "how about three-on-three?" He turned at a thought to Sage. "Does Jag play?"

"No, she doesn't," Jag remarked with a grin from the kitchen door. Ryo did not miss the odd look Sage gave her. "Don't worry. I'll finish up here. You guys go play. You, too, Cye. Thanks but go on. Skat!" She playfully chased him out with a hand towel.

The other four stared. "That has to be the first time _Cye_ has ever been run out of a kitchen!" Kento breathed in mock awe.

"Hey, whoa, Alex! Before you guys start, you need to move the cars!"

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

That night, Sage sat on his bed in Alex's room, thinking over the day. Jag had stayed indoors while they played. After bringing out another pitcher of ice water for the gang, she disappeared for a few hours. Sage finally went looking for her and had found her napping in her bedroom upstairs. When asked if Jag was ill, Alex would only say that the heat got to her sometimes and she would be okay. Sage remembered Janelle as a quiet, non-physical person but Janice had never been known to pass up a chance to prove that she could "keep up with the boys." She loved basketball, volleyball, and swimming. Cye had asked if she'd be joining the group at the beach tomorrow and she laughed, saying that she did not even own a swimsuit. She had never been body-shy before. Granted, Sage had to allow that she had put on some weight over the past several years, but he did not agree that she would look like "a hippo in a tutu."

"Jag, when are you going to tell them?" Sage heard a soft voice – Alex's – down the hall.

"What? That I'm crazy? I'm not," came the flat reply. Sage moved closer to the door. He hated eavesdropping. Still –

"How long do you think you can hide from them?" Alex hesitated, then admitted, "Sage was asking about you earlier."

"What did you tell him?"

"That the heat affects you."

"Well, it's true."

"Well, yes, but - "

"But nothing. Alex, there's nothing wrong. No doctor can pin it - not that anyone even cares to try."

"Jag - "

"Look, don't start. Please? _¡Pero si alguien esta´ despierto, nos podrian escuchar, Alejandro!_"

Sage startled. _What language was that? Jag knows Spanish?_

"No one's listening," Alex guaranteed her. "I'm sure they're all zonked out by now. If the jet lag hasn't dropped them, the basketball would have."

"I don't know. I understand Rowen's quite the night owl and I can pretty much assure you Sage is still up."

"Well, how about I go check?" Sage backpedaled silently to his bed, pretending to look for something in his backpack. Alex appeared at the door. He met Sage's eyes, registering alarm for only an instant, then called softly over his shoulder. "Nope. Sound asleep."

Sage heard Jag sigh wearily. "All right. You win. G'night."

"Later, champ." Alex closed the door and turned to Sage with a small grin. "Have you met your other roommates yet?" He indicated two tanks, one on a bookcase and one on the desk. He motioned Sage to approach. "This one is Ebony. She's a black king snake. She's getting ready to shed so it's not a good idea to handle her. She's bitey right now. She can't see with the scales over her eyes. Give her about a week. And this is _Juliana_. It's Spanish for 'soft-haired.' She's an immature Mexican Redknee tarantula. She's very docile. Do you mind spiders? Guess I should have asked before we bunked you in here."

"'Hoo-lee-AH-nah'?" Sage repeated the name with uncertainty. She was beautiful and, no, he did not mind, but that was not what was bothering him just then. He turned from the terrarium and met Alex's eye. "What were you and Jag talking about? Is something wrong with her?"

Alex let out a breath. Sage knew Alex had hoped he would take the hint and not ask. He could not ignore what he had heard, though. Alex hesitated a long moment, staring at the tarantula, then looked back up at Sage. "What really happened in LA?" he asked softly. "Tell me that and I'll break my promise to your sister."

Sage ran a hand through his hair. "Touché ," he admitted. "She probably doesn't want me and the guys worrying about her. She's not in danger or anything, is she?"

"No, no, nothing life-threatening, just . . . annoying. She's fine."

Sage knew Alex did not fully believe that himself - he had heard the concern in Alex's voice - but agreed to let it go at that. For now. "All right, then. Good night, Alex."

"Good night."

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!

August 6, 2003 - Hey! You made it to the end! Congrats! Yeah, give me some time. There really is a storyline but I'm also going to let the guys have some fun. Ever wonder what it would be like to take them to Disneyland? I'm discovering that right now. ^_- Jag's comment in Spanish translates as - "But if someone's awake, they will be listening, Alexander." (No, I actually don't speak Spanish, at least not fluently. A friend of mine speaks it, though. He translated the comment for me.) By the way, for reasons of my own, which I may or may not explain later (^_^) I have added ten years to the events in the Ronins' timeline. For instance, the TV series was set in 1988 but in my "reality" those events took place in 1998. This is set in July 2003, so the guys are 19 and 20 years old (they'd be 29 and 30 otherwise!).

Oh, one other thing - I have alluded more than a few times to the "events in LA." For those who don't know, I'm talking about Gaiden. The "hospital stay" part of things refers to two other fics on this website - "Angel Dust" by Minuit and "Orpheus" by Icewyche. If you have not read them, you need to read them in that order. And DO be sure to read them! They are both fabulous! The premise of both is that the last scene on the bridge did not happen, or at least Sage would not have participated. The fact is that after everything Sage had been through, he would not just walk out of the warehouse and everything was fine. He'd been tortured and pumped full of drugs. There would have been consequences. Both fic's use the Samurai Trooper names. I highly recommend these two stories (as well as several others)!


	3. Chapter 2 A Fine Imagination

Disclaimer: The Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all affiliated names and concepts do not belong to me. If you recognize the character, he/she is not mine. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Battle Invalid"  
By DragonDancer5150

Chapter 2 - A Fine Imagination

Cye tentatively opened the door, looking down the hall. The house was silent. Apparently he was the first one up, as usual. No, maybe not - Jag's bedroom door was open. He glanced in on his way by to the bathroom and saw that her bed was empty. He took care of morning toiletries and headed downstairs, listening with amusement to the meowing of several cats somewhere below.

Jag stood at one of the counters in the kitchen, her back to Cye. Six crying felines had her surrounded. "Yes, guys, I know," she chuckled in a whisper. "I'm almost done." One of the cats – Cye recognized Cheetos – stood on his hind legs, pawing at the back of her knee. "OK! OK!" She turned and set two plates on the floor, each with three separate piles of wet cat food. The felines attacked the plates as if they had not eaten in days. With a soft laugh, Jag straightened up and spotted Cye watching her. "Oh! Good morning. Or should I say - _ohayou_."

Cye grinned. "_Ohayou gozaimasu_. You speak Japanese?"

"Nah. I wish. I've learned a few things from Sage, though. Hungry?"

"_Hai!_"

"Hello to you, too. Are you hungry?"

"Oh." Cye looked a little embarrassed. "Ah – _hai_ means 'yes'."

Jag grinned. "Actually, I did know that. I was just teasing. Sorry."

"Oh. That's all right. So – " He indicated the cats at their feet. Only one had reacted to his appearance more than looking up for an instant. It was a little black one, which had backed away and was staring up at him warily. "Who is everyone?"

"Well, for starters – " Jag picked up the little black cat. " – this is Angel. Don't let her name fool you, though. She can be a bit of a bitch. It takes her a while to get used to strangers." As if to prove the point, Angel laid back her ears and hissed at Cye. "Oh, you!" Jag stepped past him and set the cat down at the door of the kitchen. Angel shot around the corner and disappeared from sight. Jag only rolled her eyes. "Let's see. You've met Cheetos. That's Fuzzy, the one that met us at the door yesterday. The fluffy, light grey cat is Misty. She and Skitters are the only ones allowed outside, just so you know. Skitters is the dark smoke-grey one over there. And the mid-grey short-hair is Addie, the one with the white socks. While I'm thinking of it, let me introduce you to Tamarack and Celine, too."

She led Cye into the dining room and to the sliding glass door. Pulling it open, she called softly, "Tam! Cece! Come here, guys." Two very large canines cantered into sight from around the side of the house. Cye took a step back. The smaller one - if "small" was a word one could attribute to it - was pitch black, the larger a silvery grey. They noticed Cye and the big silver one began to make a sound low in his throat. "Tamarack, stop that," Jag admonished sternly, stepping out onto the patio. "Sit." Both dogs obeyed. She knelt in front of them, petting and scratching them. "Good boy. Good girl. I've got someone I wan'cha to meet. Cye, come here." She looked back and noted his hesitation. "It's OK. They won't bite." She stood as Cye stepped tentatively to her side. "Put your hand out, palm down, like this. Let them get to know your scent." They sniffed at him. Then, Tamarack stood on his hind legs, planting his forepaws on Cye's shoulders.

"Woah, hey!" Cye yelped, backpedaling before the dog could knock him over.

"Tamarack, down!" Jag commanded, her voice sharp. She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, straddled him, and pushed him down onto the concrete, her other hand over his muzzle. The dog's legs folded without a struggle. "No! Bad dog. You know better than that." She looked up at Cye. "Sorry about that. Tam has a bad habit of testing strangers. If he ever does that again, either smack his nose or hold him down like I'm doing. All right, I'm going to let you back up now. Are you going to behave?" She paused, then stood, releasing her hold. "Now apologize. Cye, hold out your hand again." This time, Tam licked his fingertips.

"You don't seem like you're much used to dogs, are you?" Jag commented as they returned to the kitchen. By this time, the two plates on the floor were licked clean and the cats had all dispersed.

"Um, no, actually. What did you do when you pushed him to the ground?"

"In a wolf pack, when one wolf is exerting dominance over another, he'll do what I did - grab him by the scruff and force him to the ground. That tactic is something they teach at dog obedience schools, too - it works the same on any dog - but it's even more effective with part-wolves like Tam and Cece." This information seemed to be new to Cye so she continued. "Dogs and wolves are social creatures, pack creatures. Domestic dogs see their families as packs so you have to deal with them with that in mind. There's a pecking order. My dad is the Alpha male of the pack. My step-mom, Linda, is Alpha female. Alex and I are seen as siblings but we rank higher in the pecking order. Strangers are outsiders to the pack and therefore trespassers in their territory. That's why I have to introduce each of you to them. Tam knew you were nervous so he tried to dominate you."

"I wasn't nervous," Cye argued. Just then, Ryo and Alex appeared at the kitchen door.

"Nervous about what?" Ryo wanted to know.

"Hey, isn't breakfast ready yet?" Alex teased.

"What do I look like, Mary Maid Service? Jeesh."

"You sound like Kento," Sage commented at the same time, stepping up behind Alex.

"Jag, would you like some help with breakfast?" Cye offered as she opened the refrigerator.

"Sage tells me you're a damn good cook," she responded, glancing at her cousin.

"He is!" Ryo was quick to reply. Cye blushed at the compliments. "In fact, when we get together back home, he does most of the cooking."

"Well, you don't have to here. You're on vacation, remember? But sure. Who am I to turn down such an excellent cook? Alex, I've already introduced Cye to the dogs. Why don't you take Ryo and Sage out while we get things going in here?"

No sooner had the smell of bacon and ham begun to waft out of the kitchen than Kento came barreling downstairs. "Oooh! I smell food!"

"So very perceptive of you!" Sage called through the screen door. "Come on outside. We're on the back patio."

The six soon sat down at the dining table and Sage turned to Alex. "Now that everyone's awake, when did you want to leave for the beach?"

Alex looked at him quizzically. "But everyone's _not_ up. What about . . . uh, Blue-Hair." He frowned in apology that he could not remember the name.

Kento rolled his eyes. "Rowen. Nah, he won't be up for hours yet. If we wait for him, we won't be out of here until afternoon."

"Yeah, he knew he might lose out if he sleeps in," Ryo told them.

"You guys go ahead," Jag suggested. "I'll wait for him and we can meet you later. I've got things I can do until he's out of bed."

Ryo frowned. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. I have some drawings I'm working on. I should have a few of them finished by the time he's up. I'll show them to you guys later if you'd like."

Sage seriously considered the offer. "Yes. I'd like to see them."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Rowen rolled over into sunlight in his face. _Groan . . ._

The house was strangely silent. _I don't hear Kento? Shouldn't he be in the kitchen making a ruckus with Cye? Ryo? Sage?_ He forced one eye open, then the other, and looked around the room. Panic gripped him for just an instant before he recognized his surroundings. He rolled over again, looking at the bed beside his. Ryo was already up. No surprise there. He wondered if the group had left for the beach without him like Sage and Ryo had threatened if he overslept.

After toiletries, he wandered downstairs, hearing low music playing. He thought it might be Celtic. Cye owned a few Celtic CD's and Rowen thought this sounded like the same style. He found Jag at the dining room table with art supplies scattered all about. "Good morning."

Jag had already begun to stand. "Oh, hey! You're up earlier than I thought."

He glanced at the clock on the wall and grinned. "It's nearly noon. What time were you thinking?"

"Well, from the way Kento was talking, it almost sounded like two or three. How are you feeling? Did you sleep okay?"

"I think the saying is 'like a baby,' though I've heard that babies don't always sleep all that well."

"True that. Listen, I'll be right back. I was, ah . . . just heading for the bathroom, actually. I saved you some breakfast. It's the covered plate on the second shelf in the fridge. Thirty seconds to a minute in the microwave should about do it."

She left and Rowen started into the kitchen but curiosity got the better of him and he approached the table instead. The drawing that she had been working on stopped him dead in his tracks.

It was a Japanese-style armor, like the samurais used to wear but made of solid sections rather than _do-maru_, the traditional overlapping lacquer plates. It was a deep mid-night blue with a tall, conical helm sporting twin yellow horns. The trim of the armor was also yellow. A tall folding bow stood beside it. Various notes were written here and there all over the page. "Face guard retracts." "Quiver of endless arrows." "Symbol only on one shoulder guard." Rowen's hand was grasping the sphere in his pocket even before he was conscious of the act.

He was still staring when Jag returned. "Wha'cha looking at? Oh, that. That's just something I'm working on for a game I'm running."

He could scarcely believe her dismissive tone. He found his voice, asking in as nonchalant a tone as he could manage, "What is it?"

"You look like you've never seen a suit of Japanese armor before," she commented with a wry chuckle, misreading the look on his face. "It's one of a set of nine that I've been designing for my game. Do you know what a role-playing game is?" He nodded, being vaguely familiar with the term. "I'm running a campaign that has the players collecting these magical armors against a coming threat, though I haven't worked out exactly what that is yet. European armors are a little overdone in RPG's so I decided to make mine Japanese. They're designed after the elements and the seasons. Western science only counts four elements but Eastern science believes in five . . . Um, sorry. You already know that, I guess."

_Do I ever!_ Rowen thought. _How much does she know? And HOW does she know? Did Sage tell her? No, he wouldn't have - and she's talking like she made them up._ "So . . . which one is this one?"

"This one represents Air. It also draws the strongest on life energy. The arrows are made of pure energy, though they're physical enough when they hit. They do a lot more damage than normal arrows, too. The armor's name is Strata after the stratosphere."

_Tenku_, Rowen nodded mentally. _In English, that would translate as firmament - or it could mean stratosphere_. _Do the others know? If Sage knew, he would have told us . . . wouldn't he?_ Rowen paused for a moment, honestly not knowing how to respond. "Do you have any others drawn?"

"Yeah. Most of them, actually." She sat down and flipped the pad back a few pages, then forward again slowly. "This one is Earth . . . Spring . . . Winter . . . Water . . . and Fire."

The sketches were in various states of completion, with a few discrepancies here and there, but there was no mistaking it. They were drawings of the Ronin Armors. _I need to talk to the guys._ "Did the others leave for the beach already?"

"Yeah. I told them you and I would meet them there if you still wanted to go, too."

Rowen nodded. "Let me get my – " All of a sudden, he could not remember the proper words in English. _Shock over seeing your own Armor in someone else's drawing book_, he thought sardonically. " – water shorts."

Jag laughed. "Swim trunks. Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. That was rude. Hey, before you disappear back upstairs, let me introduce you to the dogs before I forget. They've already met the others."

On the patio, as the dogs sniffed him over, Rowen asked, "Did either of them knock Cye down?"

"Tam tried to. Why?"

Rowen grinned, shaking his head. "He seems to have that affect. It's not that dogs don't like him –"

" – they just think they can overpower him?"

"Yeah, something like that. He's not accustomed to dogs."

"I kinda got that impression."

Rowen looked out over the backyard. The landscaping was beautiful – a flower garden, an herb garden, a pond, lots of grass, a small shed painted to look like a little house. In the back corner stood a pair of wooden frames. "What are those?"

"They're for setting up archery targets."

He looked at her in surprise. "You shoot archery? Oh, yeah. Sage _did_ tell me that."

"I can set up and we can shoot a few rounds if you'd like. I have a 35-pound recurve and a 30-pound English longbow," she offered. "Or, well, you probably want to get to the beach with your friends."

As much as he would love to see her bows and her skill, he remembered the drawings on the table. "Yeah, they're probably wondering where we are as it is."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Alex and Kento crossed the sand up from the water, carrying their boards back to the spot where they had left their belongings. Ryo and Sage were gone. Kento scanned the crowds and spotted them at the street edge, admiring a motorcycle. Kento grinned. He knew exactly what had happened. Ryo saw the owner park and dragged Sage over with him to chat and check out the hot ride.

"So, Kento, how long have you been surfing?" Alex asked as he dropped onto one of the towels spread out on the sand.

"Hm? Oh. Cye taught me about two, two-and-a-half years ago. Tell your friend, Tom, thanks for letting me use his board, by the way."

"No problem. You're pretty good," Alex grinned as Kento plopped himself next to him.

"I had a good teacher." Kento turned to look for his best friend among the scores of surfers.

Alex followed his gaze. He shook his head and gave a low whistle as they watched Cye disappear behind a falling wall of water. He shot out the side of the curl, still on his feet. "Damn, he's good. Giving all the California boys a run for their money, isn't he? Sure kicked my butt!"

Kento laughed. "His mom used to joke that he was born on a surfboard."

Alex looked at him sidelong. "Used to?" he ventured.

Kento heaved a deep sigh and stared out at his childhood friend. "Her health was never good for at least as long as I've known him. She had a bad heart and a few other problems. She died only about a year ago."

"Hm. I'm sorry to hear that. Does he have any other family?"

"Well, he's got mine," Kento joked, "but yeah – he has an older sister named Sayoko. She lives in Hagi in Yamaguchi, continuing her mom's pottery business with her husband. Cye has an apartment in Tokyo. He comes over sometimes and helps Mama and Papa at our restaurant in Yokohama. Mama's always worrying that he doesn't eat enough." He rolled his eyes. "I think my kid sister, Chun Fa, has a crush on him."

"How old is she?"

"Eight."

"And she's already interested in boys? Sounds like Big Brother's got his work cut out for him. How old are you? Eighteen? Nineteen?"

"Nineteen."

"So that's – what – eleven years in between? Wow, that's quite a spread."

"Not really. There's another sister and two brothers in between us. Don't worry. Anyone lays a finger on any of them and they'll have ol' Kento to deal with!" He flexed his muscular arms in emphasis.

"Showing off for the girls?" Sage teased knowingly as he and Ryo approached, pointing at a pair of bikini-clad women passing by just a few yards away.

"Huh? What? Hey, no! That's not what we were talking about!" Kento argued, turning a shade of red that made him look already sunburned.

"Oh? Then what _were_ you talking about?" Ryo queried, sounding like he and Sage already had him pegged.

"No! We were talking about my family. Hey, come on, Alex. Help me out here."

Alex let out the laugh he'd been trying to hold back. "Actually, you _were_ looking in their direction at the time."

"Aw, what is this, Pick-on-Kento Day?"

"Well," Ryo reasoned, "Rowen's not here yet and Cye's still out in the water – big surprise." Just then, a sudden anxiety tickled at the back of his mind. He glanced at Kento and Sage but neither seemed to have felt it. He sat down on his towel, then dropped onto his back. "Man, the sun feels good," he commented sleepily, folding his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes, satisfied that his ruse would buy a moment's peace. His yoroi crystal was in an outer pocket of his backpack just next to his head. Mentally, he reached out for it, then through it searched out the source of the disturbance. Something made him think that it had to do with Rowen but, as hard as he tried, Ryo could not find him. The Warrior of Air was just too far away, even for the psychic link afforded them by their Armors.

_-Ryo, is something wrong? Feels like you're looking for someone. Rowen?-_

Ryo allowed a small smile. Trust the Warrior of Light, of Spirit, to sense him doing something psionic. _-I thought I felt something just now. I want to say it was Rowen but he's too far away to be sure.-_

_-Do you think there's something wrong?-_ Sage asked.

Ryo gave a mental shrug. _-Dunno. I didn't feel like there was any danger but something sure got his attention.-_

_-Maybe he caught Jag in her underwear or something.-_

_-KENTO!-_ Both Ryo and Sage shot him glares. Kento only snickered.

Alex, who had been checking out a group of cute girls not far from them, turned at the sound. "What's so funny?"

"Huh? Oh! Uh, nothing," Kento replied a little too quickly.

"Someone just wiped out pretty badly," Sage lied, pointing at the surfers. _-Nice going.-_

Behind Alex's back, Kento out stuck his tongue at Sage.

An hour later, Jag and Rowen arrived with picnic supplies for a late lunch. Alex followed Jag back to the car and Ryo seized the opportunity to talk to Rowen. Rowen, however, was a step ahead of him.

"/_Guys, we need to talk_,/" he told them without preface, switching to Japanese.

"/_Are you okay?_/" Ryo wanted to know.

"/_Yeah. Why?_/"

"/_I thought I got a flash of something . . . urgent from you about an hour ago_./"

"/_That's what I need to talk to you about –_ /"

"Hey, what's the conspiracy?" Jag joked as she passed with a case of sodas. Alex carried a portable grill.

_-We'll have to talk later,-_ Sage commented. _-Or can't it wait?-_

_-Ask Jag about the drawings she's been working on,-_ Rowen suggested meaningfully, then would not say more.

As the group set up for a barbeque, several of Alex's old high school buddies spotted them and came over. The gathering turned into an impromptu beach party. Ryo and the others enjoyed the next several hours of food, joking, loud music, and fellowship but were at the same time frustrated at the inability to talk in private, finally resigning to leave the matter until they got home that night.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Boy, I'm beat!" Jag announced as the group arrived home. Alex had dropped off his four passengers, then left again to return and hang out with his friends a while longer. The guys were helping Jag unload her car. "Just leave everything in the kitchen. I'll clean it up in the morning." She heaved the picnic basket up onto a counter and deposited it with a groan.

"Are you sure? We could take care of it," Sage offered.

A huge yawn overtook Jag before she could respond. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'll see you guys in the morning. G'night."

"/_So, Rowen, what's up?_/" Ryo asked once Jag was upstairs and safely out of earshot. He reverted to Japanese out of habit.

Rowen looked at Jag's backpack, which she had dropped by the front door. After a brief hesitation, he crossed to it, pulled open the zipper and lifted a sketchbook. "/_This_./" He found the drawings of the Armors, showing them to the guys.

Stunned silence dominated the room for the span of several heartbeats. "/_Jag drew these?_/" Ryo asked at length, staring at the unfinished drawing of the Armor of Wildfire.

Rowen nodded. "/_She was working on mine when I got up this morning_./"

"/_What . . . what could this mean?_/" Cye breathed.

"/_Did anyone else feel something funny for just a second when we got off the airplane yesterday?_/" Kento ventured.

Sage stood with his arms folded, eyes closed in thought. Only he did not seem surprised by the drawings. "/_The two may or may not be related. I don't think they are_./"

"/_Oh? Well, how do you figure that?_/" challenged Kento.

Sage paused, then opened his eyes, looking at his friends with a sigh. "/_Because Jag started telling me almost a year ago about some neat armors she was 'creating' for her game_./"

"/_What?_/" Ryo nearly shouted. He caught himself with a glance upstairs, not wanting to bring their hostess into this conversation, at least not yet.

Kento gripped the front of Sage's shirt. He was not so quiet. "/_You _knew_ about this? How could you not tell us?_/"

Sage slapped his hand away. "/_Keep your voice down_./" They could hear the shower running but he did not want to take any chances. He sighed again, running his fingers through his hair. "/_What was I supposed to tell you? That my cousin is psychic or something? That she somehow knows about our Armors? And not just ours but the Seasonals' too? I was hoping to find out a little more before I said anything_./"

Rowen returned the book to the backpack, closing and shifting it back into the position Jag had left it. "/_How much does she know?_/"

"/_A lot. She knows they were all created from the same source and that they were initially meant to combat a great evil. She doesn't seem to know about Arago specifically, though. She doesn't seem to know about the Dynasty, about Kayura, about the Seasonals - the guys, I mean. Her knowledge seems confined to the Armors themselves. For instance, she's told me all about the Armor of Halo but never seemed to think I had any connection to it. I don't think she has any clue that they're real. She talks like she's making them up, working out all the details on her own. She does have an incredible imagination, always has since we were kids - but I don't know _what_ to make of this_./"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as each pondered the revelation. At length, Ryo let out a deep sigh of his own. "/_There's nothing we can do about it tonight. Maybe it's time we turn in_./"

"/_Do you . . . do you think we should still go to the Wild Animal Park tomorrow like we'd been talking?_/" Kento asked.

Ryo looked at him sharply, at first thinking the question inappropriate, but the look on Kento's face made him wonder. "/_What makes you ask?_/"

"/_Well, maybe we should stick around Jag, find out what's going on_./"

Rowen shook his head. "/_I don't think so. We came here to sightsee and have fun. If we change that all of a sudden, especially since we just got here, I think it would look too suspicious. Jag seems like a smart girl. If there's something going on that she's involved in, we don't want to raise an alarm –_ /"

Sage startled at that. "/_Hey, wait a minute! Are you suggesting – _/"

Rowen put up his hands in a placating gesture. "/_I'm not suggesting anything, but we have to keep our eyes open. Let me finish!_/" he insisted when Sage began to argue again. "/_Even if it's not Jag, there may still be something going on and we shouldn't let anyone know there's something wrong. We should act like we don't know anything. Agreed?_/" After some hesitation, each nodded in turn. "/_All right. Then I think Ryo's onto something. Time for bed_./"

"/_Even you?_/" Cye teased, eyeing him. Rowen only rolled his eyes and did not bother to respond.

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

"Kento, hurry up! Alex will be here any time!" Sage called into the tiki-style restroom. Cye and Rowen stood with him at the edge of the walkway. Ryo sat on a park bench off to the side. He did not seem aware of the fact that he was petting the stuffed animal in his lap as he watched the people passing by.

Cye snickered. "Hey, Ryo, already attached to your little _Byakko-chan_?"

Ryo straightened and looked at him, then down at the white tiger toy that was the size of a small dog. Cye and Kento had bought it for him when they were in the "Himalayan" area of the park. "Do I have to carry this thing around?" he complained, trying to deny the fact that he liked it.

Sage shrugged, unable to completely suppress his grin. "Hey, you're the one who said you were missing _Byakuen_ already."

"What? Don't like _Byakko-chan_?" Kento asked as he emerged from the restroom, giving a mock pout. All four laughed at the face Ryo made in response.

Outside the exit gate, the group found the white Windstar waiting for them with Jag in the driver's seat. As they climbed in, Sage asked, "Where's Alex?"

"At home. He forgot about having some friends over this evening. You guys'll like them. They're in a live-roleplay group called MFCO. The Medieval Fantasy Combat Organization."

"That's the foam-weapon group Sage was telling us about?" Ryo asked eagerly.

"Yep."

"Yeah. I've been wondering how that works," Cye put in. "How can you have weapons made of foam? Wouldn't they just sort of flop around?"

"There's a plastic pipe for the core like they use in plumbing. Foam insulation is wrapped around it and sealed with duct tape. That's the basic shape for like swords and daggers and stuff. Things like axes and clubs are built with more foam over that. Edges like on swords are denoted by different colored strips of tape."

"Sounds like fun! D'ya think they'll let us play?"

Jag glanced back at Kento through the rear-view mirror and grinned. "Sure. Actually, they've been wanting to meet you guys."

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Foam-covered objects of all descriptions littered the backyard as Jag led the group around from the side gate to the _bap-bap-bap!_ sound of weapons striking. Two combatants, Alex and a teenaged girl, faced off while several others watched. The girl noted their arrival and flashed a quick grin. "Hey, Jag!" Just then, Alex struck her sword arm, then her back. "Whoa! Okay, okay! Dead."

Alex grinned at her mischievously. "Never let your guard down."

"Yeah, Amber!" one of the onlookers laughed. "Especially against Drow!"

"Hey, Jag, brought us some newbies?" another asked. "Oh, no, wait – these're your friends from Japan, right?" He stood and offered his hand. "Name's Matt but I'm known here as Long-Arm."

Ryo took his hand, noting his height and slim build. "I can see why. I'm Ryo."

The rest of the group was quickly introduced. Besides Amber and "Long-Arm", the guys met Lisa, Neal, Tom, Brett, "Kender" whose real name was also Alex, and Rick. "Drow," they learned, was the nickname by which Jag's stepbrother was known.

"Do you guys fight at all?" Neal wanted to know.

Ryo laughed. "Yeah, you can say that."

"Cool! Pick up a weapon, then. What do you prefer – sword and shield? Staff?"

"What's this?" Cye wondered, picking up a five-foot weapon, sheathed from end to end in thin foam with a thicker foam "head" at one end sporting a red strip of tape along one edge.

"Polearm." Rick picked up another built just like it. "Do you use polearms?"

Cye swung the weapon a few times, testing the weight. He grinned. "It's not a yari, but it will do."

Rick chuckled. "A 'who-ee'?"

Brett rolled his eyes. "Yari. It's a type of Japanese polearm. You don't expect that he fights with a French halberd, do you?"

"OK, Mr. Weapons Know-It-All," Lisa chided, giving him a playful punch in the arm. She picked up two "swords," swinging them expertly. "Anyone fight florentine?"

"Um," Kento ventured, "isn't that a food dish? Something to do with broccoli?"

That elicited laughs from all around. Lisa shook her head. "No. Well, yeah, except that's spinach, not broccoli. It's also a fighting style where you use two weapons."

Ryo picked out two more "swords" from the pile. "I'll take you up on that." Sage took on Alex in "great swords" and Neal faced Kento with another pair of polearms. Rowen and Jag sat back with the rest and watched the four pairs square off as the basic rules were laid down. No head or groin shots were permitted. Thrusts were allowed only if the weapon had a thick enough tip to be safe. "Hold" was the safety word to stop a fight. One strike to the arm lost the use of that limb. A second strike "carried through" to the body and was considered a kill. Any strike to the torso was an automatic "kill." A strike to the leg lost the use of that leg and movement could only be done by hopping or limping. A second strike to the same leg "carried through" to the other leg. Loss of both legs required the combatant to fall to his knees but was not a "kill" and the combat could continue.

"Where are the dogs?" Rowen wanted to know as combat began.

"In the garage," Kender replied. "They'd get under foot otherwise - unless we used them for mounted combat! They're damn near the size of horses!"

Rowen nodded, then laughed as Cye was knocked off his feet by a sweep from Rick. "Hey, watch it, buddy! Don't let that guy get the better of ya!"

Cye huffed, accepting Rick's hand to help him up. "You think I'm _letting_ him? The weight of this thing's all wrong! I'm not used to it yet."

"Excuses, excuses!" Kento laughed. He and Neal appeared to be evenly matched, as were Ryo and Lisa.

Alex was not faring nearly as well against Sage. "Damn! Where'd you learn to fight like this?"

_You mean besides having to fight for my life on several occasions?_ Sage mused. "My family owns a dojo. I've been studying kendo ever since I could hold a sword."

"Shit," Alex grinned. "That's right. Jag told me you're a kendo champion. I shoulda known better. Ah!" He hit the ground for the third time, narrowly missing the pond, as Sage forced him to overbalance and he tripped on a dog toy.

"Hey, Drow! You let your guard down!" Amber teased.

"Actually, you're doing very well," Sage complimented as he helped Alex to his feet.

"Better!" Alex laughed as he took the opportunity to strike Sage with a wrapshot to the back. "Dead!"

"Hey!" Sage looked at him in mock irritation. "That was a cheap shot."

"Yeah, it was. Only way I'd score a hit, though."

Jag chuckled and leaned in close to Rowen. "Speaking of cheap shot, I've got an idea. C'm here." Curious at the look of pure mischief on her face, he obeyed.

A moment later, Rick's concentration was broken long enough for Cye to score a kill even before Cye's mind deciphered what had hit his opponent in the back of the shoulder. Lisa squawked in indignation as a missile struck the back of her thigh. "Jag!" she cried, whirling around. Jag and Rowen stood at the edge of the grass, each with a bow in hand and a foam-tipped arrow nocked and ready.

Tom fell out of his chair laughing at the look on his girlfriend's face. "Ooh, you two are in so much trouble! Lisa hates archers."

"Yeah, I know," Jag smirked. "We're on the field, though, so get used to it, Lady Mayhem."

"Lady . . . ?" Rowen wondered.

"Mayhem," Jag finished for him. "That's her character's name."

"Yeah," Lisa growled, feigning haughty annoyance, "and if DragonDancer doesn't find herself a new target, this dark elf sorceress's gonna be practicing her spellcraft on ya!"

"Hafta hit me first!"

Lisa stuffed her hand into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a tennis ball with a yellow ribbon tied to it. "Lightening bolt!" she cried as she threw the ball at Jag.

Jag shook her head and batted away the ball with her hand. "You keep forgetting – dragon spell resistance. Lightening bolt isn't high enough level to hurt me."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Rowen wanted to know, looking back and forth between the girls.

Jag laughed. "MFCO. The 'f' for fantasy refers to the fact that it's a role-playing game as well as live combat. Lisa's character is a dark elf magic user. I play a half-dragon archer. Matt's a dwarf fighter. Neal and Amber are both a human fighter-mages. Tom plays an ogre. Rick's an elven ranger. Brett's an elven archer. Kender plays a halfling rogue. And Alex – Drow – is a dark elf fighter."

"Hey, speaking of gaming," Tom put in, "are you still running the usual Friday Rifts game tomorrow since you have company?"

Jag looked at Rowen. "Well, if you guys don't mind - "

Cye shook his head. "We're the ones intruding, remember? Don't let us mess up your schedule."

"Nah! You're not intruding. Far from."

Rowen thought for a moment. "Is that the game you created those armors for? The ones in the drawings you were showing me yesterday?" He made sure to say it loud enough to catch the others' attention. It did.

Amber squeaked in delight. "Oh! You promised to show them to us when you were done. Do you have mine drawn yet?"

"Earth? Yeah, actually I did finish that one. I've also got Air, Water, and Spring almost done. Oh, and Fire but you guys can't see that one since you haven't found it yet."

"Rock on!" Tom crowed.

"Cool!" Neal agreed.

Kento reacted in confusion. "Earth? Your armor? What do you - ?" He stopped when Ryo shifted close enough to bat the back of his leg in warning with one of the foam swords.

"Would you guys be interested in playing?" Jag asked. "I have a few characters you could run."

"'Run'?" Sage echoed.

"Oh, sorry - play. You could play them. We call it 'running' a character. RPG lingo, I guess."

Sage exchanged meaningful looks with his friends. "We'd love to, Jag."

* * *

Author's Notes: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!


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